Centrifugal apparatus for cleaning and conditioning air



Jan. 16, 1940. H. MccoRNAcK CENTRIFUGAL APPARATUS FOR CLEANING AND CDNDITIONIIQG AIR Filed June 15, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 H. M CORNACK I Jan. 16, 1940.

CE-NTRIFUGAL APPARATUS FOR CLEANING AND CONDITIONING AIR Filed June 15, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

Patented Jan. 16, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CENTRIFUGAL APPARATUS FOR CLEANING AND CONDITIONING AIR Application June 15, 1936, Serial No. 85,254

5 Claims.

This invention, which is an improvement in air conditioning devices, is a complement to my invention under U. S. patent application, Serial No. 678,829, now Patent No. 2,047,424, issued July 14, 1936, and relates particularly to the centrifugal type of apparatus which cleans and conditions air.

The objects of my invention are, first, to provide improved means for returning the unvapo- I rized liquid which has passed thru the whirling air that is being conditioned to the conditioning process; second, to provide means for controlling the temperature of the conditioning liquid while it is being repeatedly returned thru the condiil tioning process; third, to provide means for the control of the temperature of the conditioned air and fourth, to provide improved means for the elimination of solids and foreign matter from the conditioned air.

My invention will be understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which,

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a centrifugal air conditioner embodying my invention oper- I ated by suction.

Pig. 2 is a sectional plan on line 2-2, Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation on line 3-4, Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, sectional elevation of u a diiierent construction of this invention.

Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view on the line 5-5, Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross-section on line 8-6, Fig. 5.

U Fig. 7 is an enlarged'cross-section on line 1-1,

Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged cross-section on line 88, Fig.5.

Fig. 9 is a cross-section on line 9--9, Fig. 4.

40 Referring to the drawings, Figs. 1, 2, and 3,

a chamber 2 is shown in which the air is conditioned, having a series of tangential inlets l-I, thru which the air flows into chamber 2 and an exit 3 for the outflow of the conditioned air from 6 chamber 2. The conditioning liquid is held, by atmospheric pressure, in reservoir 4 which has a conduit 5 leading from the reservoir 4 to the catch basin 2x. A parabolic surface, I, of the liquid in the catch basin 2x, which is set up by the whirling action of the air in the chamber 2, when the apparatus is in operation, extends above the intake ends of the series of passages 8-4. These passages 6-8 extend upward to the discharge ends of the tangential air inlets u l-l, as shown in Fig. 3. Chamber 2 has a peripheral opening 8 thru which the whirling liquid and solids are ejected into chamber Y, tangentially thru conduit to. Faucet 9, at the lower end of chamber Y serves to, periodically, discharge the solids together with the liquid from chamber Y. The liquid from chamber Y flows upward and downward thru conduit 8b to chamber Q and then thru conduit 80 into catch basin 21:. i2 represents any heating element. X represents any thermostatic means for 10 controlling the temperature of the heating element 12, preferably by the temperature of the liquid which has passed thru the air in the conditioning process or this thermostat may control the temperature of the heating element i2 by the temperature of the atmosphere which has been conditioned.

Referring to Figures 4, 5, 6, '7, 8, and 9, a controlled supply of conditioning liquid flows'thru conduit 5 into a catch basin 23:, is picked up 90 thru passages 6-6 by the inflow of air thru inlets l---! and discharged as atomized jets into chamber 2. This tangential delivery of the air and liquid sets up a vortex in chamber 2 which extends down into catch basin 2a: and causes the 5 liquid to whirl and form a parabolic surface I.

3 is an eXit for the conditioned air. 10 is a tangential outlet from the catch basin 2:: thru which the whirling vortex of liquid ejects a controlled part of the conditioning liquid thru pipe la and forces it thru temperature element i6 from which it is forced and sucked back by the rotating vortex thru pipe lflb into catch basin 23:. i5 is the thermostat which controls the temperature of the conditioning liquid thru temperature element it. I! is a sediment trapping chamber. Na and Ho are passages in the bottom of the catch basin 2:: to sediment chamber l1. I8 is a valve and I8 is the outliet for the sediment. 20 is a circular channel to catch the unvaporized liquid and dirt from the vortex. 20a represents a series of holes in casing 2| registering with a series of ducts 20b which lead from circular channel 20 downward to catch basin 2x.

In the operation of the apparatus as described in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, liquid may be supplied from any source but in the form of apparatus shown, water flows from reservoir 4 into catch basin 2:: at the lower end of chamber 2 until the outlet of the conduit 5 is submerged, thereby shutting oil the inflow of the atmosphere to reservoir 4 and the corresponding outflow of water. As liquid in chamber 2 is exhausted and the liquid surface in catch basin 2:: is lowered to a point I where the outlet of conduit 5 is uncovered, air is let into reservoir 4 and a corresponding amount of water is released into catch basin 2x and, by this means, sufficient supply of water is automatically maintained. The air to be treated, as it flows thru. tangential passages l-I into chamher 2, sucks up liquid from catch basin 2:: in attenuated streams thru restricted passages 6-6 and discharges it in finely atomized jets tangentially into the vortex of air and water in chamber 2. The conditioned air, at the axis of thevortex in chamber 2, passes out thru axial exit 3. Practically all of the liquid and solids from the air are thrown outward and caused to rotate on the wall of chamber 2 and to be ejected by the momentum of the whirling liquid from chamber 2 and discharged tangentially thru conduit 8a and delivered tangentially into chamber Y, where it sets up a whirling action of the liquid, separating the solids from the liquids by centrifugal action. Gravity also acts in this chamber to separate the solids from the liquids, the lighterthan-liquid solids floating to the upper end of chamber Y while the heavier-than-liquid solids settle to the lower end of chamber Y. The liquid leaving chamber Y thru conduit 81) flows thru chamber Q where the liquid is given the desired temperature.

In the operation of apparatus, as shown in Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 a vortex of liquid and air is formed by the same means as in apparatus shown and described in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. This vortex eliminates the unvaporized liquid and solids against the wall of chamber 2, traps them in channel 20, from which they are carried downward by gravity thru ducts 20b into catch basin 2a:. The liquid is again sucked up thru passages 6--6 and returned thru the conditioning process. This circulation of the liquid and gravity cause the solids to pass into chamber I! from which it can be removed thru valve l8.

For the thermostatic control of the conditioned air in apparatus, as shown in Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8, and

, 9, the catch basin 2:: is provided with tangential outlet Hi from which a controlled part of the conditioning liquid, which has passed thru the conditioning vortex, is ejected by the centrifugal action of the liquid thru the thermostat IS, the pipe Illa and the temperature controlling element IS. The reverse action of the vortex at Hlc cooperates with its ejector action at ID to return the liquid, after it has been thermostatically tempered, back thru pipe I 0b into catch basin 211:.

My device provides a more simple and more practical means for controlling the temperature of the air. This is accomplished bycontrolling the temperature of the conditioning liquid before entering the vortex, thermostatically thru the temperature of the conditioning liquid which has passed thru the conditioning process.

The greater frequency and intimacy of contact between the washing liquid and the air is accomplished by the provision in the apparatus of a plurality of restricted liquid passages arranged so that they lead from points below the surface of the'liquid in the catch basin to points at the discharge ends of the tangential air inlets to the chamber, in such way, that the high velocity, incoming streams of air suck the liquid from the basin in attenuated streams, finely atomize it and discharge it tangentially into the whirling air in the chamber. The liquid, which is not absorbed by the air, is thrown by centrifugal force onto the wall. of the chamber and practically all of it is ejected from the chamber. To

effectively accomplish this atomizlng action it is important that the inlet ends of the passages 6--6 be kept submerged practically all of the time.

Catch basin 21' may represent any means for returning the conditioning liquid back thru the atomizing process.

Where, in some of the many uses 'to which this apparatus may be applied, it is desired to force the air to be treated thru the cylinder by superatmospheric pressure, the water and solids may be automatically'ejected from the apparatus by the super-atmospheric pressure within the chamber. In cases where the air to be treated is drawn thru the apparatus by suction, and, when it is'desired to constantly elect water and solids from the apparatus, this is eifected automatically said liquid level, liquid 'ducts cooperating with said air inlets to convey liquid from said body to the resulting, whirling air streams thereby producing a whirling mixture of air and liquid, an axial air outlet extending into the upper end of the chamber, a tangential liquid outlet from the top of said chamber through which entrained liquid and dirt are ejected by the momentum of the whirling mixture, a settling chamber connected with said tangential outlet, a conduit for returning purified liquid from aid settling chamber to said body of liquid, and means for tempering the liquid in said last mentioned conduit so that desired characteristics will be imparted to the conditioned air.

2. In a centrifugal apparatus for conditioning air, a substantially vertical cylindrical, conditioning chamber, a catch basin at the bottom of said chamber, means for maintaining a body of liquid at a predetermined level in said basin, 9. series of tangential air inlets adjacent said liquid level, a series of liquid passages leading from said body of liquid to an atomizing relation with respect to said inlets, an axial air outlet from an upper portion of said chamber, and a series of by-pass ducts connecting the portion of said chamber above said inlets with said basin for returning liquid thereto.

3. In a centrifugal apparatus for cleaning and conditioning air as described in claim 2, a tangential liquid outlet from said basin through which'entrained liquid and dirt are ejected by the momentum of the whirling mixture, a conduit for returning said liquid from said tangential outlet to said basin, means'for tempering the liquid in said conduit so that desired characteristicswill be imparted to the conditioned air, and a sediment trapping-chamber below said catch basin.

4. In a centrifugal apparatus for conditioning air, means for causing a high velocity vortex of air and liquid in a conditioning chamber, a tempering unit for the liquid, a thermostat responsive'to the temperature of the circulating liquid for controlling the operation of said tempering unit, means for ejecting the unvaporized liquid from the vortex and returning it tangentially as atomized sprays into the vortex and means for circulation of the liquid thru the thermostat and tempering unit by the centrifugal action of the vortex in the conditioning chamber.

5. In a centrifugal apparatus for conditioning air, means for causing a high velocity vortex of air and liquid, a tempering unit for the liquid, a thermostat responsive to the temperature of the circulating liquid for controlling the operation of said tempering unit, means for ejecting the unvaporized liquid from the vortex and returning it tangentially as atomized sprays into the vortex,-means for the thermostatic control of the liquid before it enters said vortex by the temperature of the liquid which has passed thru the vortex and means for the circulation of said liquid thru said thermostat and tempering unit by the centrifugal action of the vortex in the conditioning unit.

HERBERT McCORNACK. 

